Imagine yourself cuddled up on the couch, watching your favorite movie, and eating a big ol’ hot bowl of hearty Italian Wedding Soup. Oh, and you have hearty multi-grain rolls to dunk in the broth. And maybe a glass of wine. Nice, huh? Now imagine that the big ol’ bowl of hot soup is full of lean protein and chock full of vegetables so you can eat and pat yourself on the back. Even better!

Recipe notes: You may be tempted, but don’t use ground turkey breast – it doesn’t have good flavor and will dry out … not great for meatballs! Ground turkey is still a very lean protein and has the flavor and texture you will want for meatballs. If you have regular breadcrumbs on hand, simply add some dried Italian seasoning to make Italian breadcrumbs. You can also buy breadcrumbs pre-seasoned. Kale can easily be subbed for chard, spinach, or any other green.

Ingredients

1 lb. ground turkey (labeled as 93% lean)

2 garlic cloves

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1/2 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs

1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

S/P

Olive oil

1 large yellow or white onion, sliced

2 (48 oz) packages low-sodium chicken broth

1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes in juice

2 cups dried ditalini pasta (or other small pasta)

2 lbs. kale, chopped

Instructions

In a bowl, combine turkey, garlic, egg, breadcrumbs and Parmigiano-Reggiano. Season generously with S/P. Roll mixture into balls.

In a large pot or dutch oven, heat about 2 tbsp. olive oil over medium heat. Cook the onion until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the broth and the tomatoes (with juice); bring to a simmer. Add the meatballs and cook, without stirring, until the meatballs float to the surface, about 8 minutes. Taste the broth (let cool!) and season with S/P as needed.

Stir in the dried pasta and continue cooking for another 5 minutes at a low simmer. In batches add the kale, stirring to combine until all the kale is added. Cook until tender, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and serve hot. Grate some Parmigiano-Reggiano over the hot soup and serve with hearty bread.